Jefferson County staff briefed the Board of County Commissioners on a proposed application for a DRCOG (Denver Regional Council of Governments) subaward drawn from U.S. EPA funds allocated to DRCOG’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. Staff requested authority to apply for and accept a subaward of up to $1,500,000 to support two primary components: a grant-funded full-time equivalent position to lead local building-decarbonization policy work, and funding for a permitting/software solution to better capture and report building-energy data.

Jabez Mullins, sustainability program manager in Facilities Management, described building decarbonization as reducing or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and said buildings account for about 57% of Jefferson County’s annual greenhouse gas emissions—roughly 29% from electricity and 28% from natural gas. Mullins and other staff explained that the grant-funded position would be housed in Facilities Management and would serve as the county’s liaison to the DRCOG policy collaborative, coordinate multi-departmental work, lead research and outreach, and track benchmarking efforts.

Staff presented a proposed allocation of the $1,500,000 as follows: up to $557,167.63 for an FTE (including start-up and up to three years of compensation tied to the grant period), up to $850,000 for discovery and implementation of a permitting/software solution that can capture decarbonization-related data across divisions, and up to $135,000 for de minimis administrative costs (roughly 10% of operational costs). The grant application deadline staff cited was October 31; the subaward period runs through September 2029.

Renee Bruno, business analyst, walked commissioners through a phased approach for software: pre-analysis, discovery (documenting current state and needs), and an implementation phase. Staff said the county’s current permitting system (referred to in the briefing as AMANDA) has been in place more than 17 years and could be upgraded or replaced; either route may require a future general-fund request for ongoing maintenance and non-decarbonization customizations not covered by the grant.

Commissioners asked about regional scope and funding tiers. Staff said DRCOG assigned per-jurisdiction allocations (Jefferson County’s allocation identified as $1,500,000 for this round) and that some funds are distributed as subawards while other DRCOG funds form a regionwide pool for direct assistance. Commissioners also asked about post-grant costs; staff and consultants said they expect some ongoing general-fund expense for software maintenance and that staff will return with cost estimates after the discovery phase.

Staff requested six specific actions: (1) apply for and accept up to $1,500,000 in subaward funds; (2) supplement the 2026 Facilities Management budget for the startup and first-year salary of the grant-funded position; (3) supplement the 2026 general fund budget for the de minimis administrative amount for the grant period; (4) finalize and send a letter of commitment; (5) proceed with the discovery phase and return within 12 months with a recommendation for permitting software; and (6) authorize the Board chair to sign the grant agreement as approved by the County Attorney. Commissioners voiced support for the recommendations and staff will move forward with the application and discovery work.